Summer in Seattle started three weeks ago, just in time for my vacation. Both of which I am very grateful for. I am learning to relax, to let my high strung nature lay a little bit lower, and to notice things like the reflections of light on water dance along the underbellies of pine trees. This time of notice, and of details, nudges my mind into reflection of what I love, what I like, what I dislike, and what I am grateful for.
Which brings me to my first list in a long while, in no particular order, of things that I love:
Sunshine
The color silver
Cheese that smells and tastes like the barn it was made in
The idea of being giddy
Matthew
Photography
Arts, education, and the students
My family
My family's dynamics
Lucero
The afterglow of running
Strolling around farmer's markets
Dogs in trucks
Road trips
Rolling hills and open plains
Growing tomatoes, hoping one will turn red by the end of the summer
Writing
With little thought put into this list, it's cathartic to write. Thank you for reading.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sidewalk Adventures
The only thing that I have found to stay constant in my life is change, so it seems only natural to evolve the content, perhaps title, of this blog that is my narrative self.
The Wandering Rambling Circus of Encounters... Human Nature in Terms of Dog Poop, or Sidewalk Adventures come to mind...
Life is pretty interesting in Seattle, and I'm hoping this summer brings more stories, because I speak of these adventures in tones of irritation, but really I enjoy immensely the education that they bring...
It has been an eclectic adventure since I moved here one year ago. I have encountered more passive confrontations involving dog poop than ever in my life. Now two weeks ago our mail delivery stopped after the mail carrier saw our dog, Nora, the kissing (should really say licking) queen, in our yard without a leash on.
In Seattle culture, where dogs have seemingly human rights, they can also be punished and resented as a human would be. No dogs in the middle school field down the block, but yes dogs in the cosmetics aisle of Walgreens. Hidden agendas, passive aggressive pleas, and I find myself wishing for anonymity, for lack of eye contact, and a general mind your own business stagger. Back home when you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, someone tells you simply because they want you to know. In Seattle, they tell you the same thing, but they probably want you to use it to wipe up your dog poop too.
It's been good for me, because now I've learned to laugh when people tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. But I often walk away with a really good retort that I wish I'd been witty enough to say at the time. Which, I think is a pretty universal feeling.
More photos to follow...
The Wandering Rambling Circus of Encounters... Human Nature in Terms of Dog Poop, or Sidewalk Adventures come to mind...
Life is pretty interesting in Seattle, and I'm hoping this summer brings more stories, because I speak of these adventures in tones of irritation, but really I enjoy immensely the education that they bring...
It has been an eclectic adventure since I moved here one year ago. I have encountered more passive confrontations involving dog poop than ever in my life. Now two weeks ago our mail delivery stopped after the mail carrier saw our dog, Nora, the kissing (should really say licking) queen, in our yard without a leash on.
In Seattle culture, where dogs have seemingly human rights, they can also be punished and resented as a human would be. No dogs in the middle school field down the block, but yes dogs in the cosmetics aisle of Walgreens. Hidden agendas, passive aggressive pleas, and I find myself wishing for anonymity, for lack of eye contact, and a general mind your own business stagger. Back home when you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, someone tells you simply because they want you to know. In Seattle, they tell you the same thing, but they probably want you to use it to wipe up your dog poop too.
It's been good for me, because now I've learned to laugh when people tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. But I often walk away with a really good retort that I wish I'd been witty enough to say at the time. Which, I think is a pretty universal feeling.
More photos to follow...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
24 Hours, Hundreds of Photographers, One Photo Center
I have been working on a event for the Photo Center NW, a crazy cool nonprofit organization dedicated to photography and community in Seattle. The event is called Long Shot, and is a 24-Hour Photo Marathon where you shoot for 24 hours (although sleep deprivation is not required) with any camera, any where! You pledge 24 dollars, which supports the Photo Center, and then after the shoot you have approximately a month to submit your photos, frame the chosen one(s), and then send that to the Photo Center for us to hang in our exhibition that is a culmination of everyone's work. We sell the photos at a big crazy party celebration and the proceeds go to the Photo Center. It's a great chance to not only have your photography exhibited and sold, but to be part of a community, no matter where you are.
It sounds complicated, but it's really not. The Photo Center NW website can explain it a bit better than my rambling words can, but ultimately what it is is hundreds of photographers, or people who appreciate photography but really have nothing more than an iphone, being creative and seeing the world and their community through the eye of a lens for a day.
I hope you think about signing up to be a part of this creative spark, it not only tickles the creative brain, the event benefits the Photo Center and Seattle photography/education community.
Sign-Up Here!
It sounds complicated, but it's really not. The Photo Center NW website can explain it a bit better than my rambling words can, but ultimately what it is is hundreds of photographers, or people who appreciate photography but really have nothing more than an iphone, being creative and seeing the world and their community through the eye of a lens for a day.
I hope you think about signing up to be a part of this creative spark, it not only tickles the creative brain, the event benefits the Photo Center and Seattle photography/education community.
Sign-Up Here!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Joy
I have been walking my butt off lately...I have no car, so I rely on those long and lovely legs of mine to keep in shape and carry me to my obligations. Since the arbitrary time change last month, I have been walking myself, walking Nora, walking with boyfriend and friends in the glow of the evenings. I like to be a creep and peer in lit windows against the gray orange background of dusk and make up stories of the people that I think live in these houses. It's become quite fun, like a bedtime fairy tale or daytime nightmare. Entertaining and imaginative... The house on 25th and Charles has well manicured bushes, hummel figurines in the front window, and has monogrammed shutters so they have lived their since the 1950s and are a retired couple; one a high school teacher, the other a clock maker. They house on 27th and Cheery has an unruly amount of dandelions and peeling paint so they like to watch 30 Rock taped on TiVo because they work two jobs.
Lately I have been rock climbing and getting back into hiking as the snow melts ever so slowly from the tops of the Cascade mountains. I have cameras, but they are all film, and those dozens of rolls need to be developed and then delicately and laboriously transferred to digital for our era. I work at the Photo Center Northwest in Seattle, so you'd think that would be easy to do. But we never set aside time to do the things that bring us the greatest joy.
That is what these evening walks have been for me. Joyful.
Years ago I had a boyfriend and a group of friends who made lists of things that made them happy, or things they were grateful for. Things that were small, things that smelled, things that were yellow or things that were irritating but hysterical. I have not made this list yet, but the lines are forming, and I continue to write letters to my friends, because THAT would be top ten things that make me happy in a list of probably hundreds.
Although I find Seattle fascinating, I miss my friends in Illinois.
Lately I have been rock climbing and getting back into hiking as the snow melts ever so slowly from the tops of the Cascade mountains. I have cameras, but they are all film, and those dozens of rolls need to be developed and then delicately and laboriously transferred to digital for our era. I work at the Photo Center Northwest in Seattle, so you'd think that would be easy to do. But we never set aside time to do the things that bring us the greatest joy.
That is what these evening walks have been for me. Joyful.
Years ago I had a boyfriend and a group of friends who made lists of things that made them happy, or things they were grateful for. Things that were small, things that smelled, things that were yellow or things that were irritating but hysterical. I have not made this list yet, but the lines are forming, and I continue to write letters to my friends, because THAT would be top ten things that make me happy in a list of probably hundreds.
Although I find Seattle fascinating, I miss my friends in Illinois.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Crazy Birthday Love
I was in Chicago last week for my Mom's 50th birthday party. 60 of our families closest friends packed our house last Saturday and brought wonderful food, drinks, and stories of the past and present. The night began with a champagne toast and culminated with a dance party, during which we nearly "cut the rug", or carpet rather. Needless to say it was amazing. I was too busy drinking and conversing to take pictures, but at some point there were bag pipes being played in the dining room. This is a picture that my man Matthew Williams took, but doesn't like, from new years eve, which was a similar party but not as exciting as this past birthday extravaganza.
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